Uzbekistan: external debt rising

Uzbekistan’s external debt soared to $21.2 billion, or 36.5% of GDP, as of the end of 2020. This was almost exactly in line with an October 2020 forecast of Fitch Ratings. Five years ago, the GDP ratio stood at 16%. Tashkent has justified the rising external borrowing by pointing to social demands that require urgent…

Estonia: imports up in January 2021

Imports rose by 13% YoY in January, state agency Statistics Estonia reported, while exports grew by 4%. Evelin Puura, Statistics Estonia leading analyst, said the primary contributor to foreign trade in January was the increased trade in oil products and mineral fuels, partly the result of higher prices global crude oil prices. Meanwhile, the largest…